The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-04-07
Mental Hash.

man whose palate has quicker senSa- |
tions than his heart" Well, | know a
good many women who have such
even for husbands if their own words |
are true. | have heard them say:
'.When want special favor from Mr..
Blank always get him up good dim
ner before preferring my request" A
good dinner does exert benign intiu-
ence over many of the best of men, but
/ always feel rather sorry for the wives
who have to appeal to mans stomach
before his heart can be reached. |
feel sorry too for the husbands whose
wives give them their sweetest words
and smiles in exchange for bonnets or
gloves or dresses or anything else cal
culated to crafty feminine vanity.
Sincere affection does not depend upon
good dinners or fashionable apparel
for its existence. Heaven help the
household having no better foundation
than this for its family affection.
Now about this matter of dress. l
hate a dandy OF fop, but if ever there
was man who liked we'll laundried
linen, neat ties, gloves and good
clothes generally, that man is Mi.
Zenas Dane, and nothing affords one
greater satisfaction than to see Mrs.
Dane arrayed in a handsome black silk
with bonnet, gloves ribbons and wraps
of corresponding beauty and elegance.
A man who don't like to see his wife
well dressed has no business to marry,
and the man who is miserable unless
he and his wife can keep up with the
fashions has less business to marry.
Mrs. Danes best black silk has been
turned twice now and its day OF beauty
and elegance is past | haven't had a
new overcoat for five winters and on
two occasions / have had to substitute
ready-made, .'store clothes" for the
neat tailor-made suits | like so we'll
This sad condition of the family ward
robe results from fixed resolve we
have made to always dress within
means and not to wear clothes for
which we cannot pay. Here. too, we
started out in our journey of life to-
| gether fully resolved to have house
of our own as soon as we could. We
have had babies and doctors bills and
all that. but we haven't gone in debt
and we've worn our old .'duds' very
| cheerfully and bravely, and we are a
very happy pair of young people. This
insane desire to out-dO all their friends
in the matter of dress has been the
ruination of many Il young couple. An
inordinate love of dress makes sad
havoc with a poor mans purse-and
his happiness too.
| have had to lay down my pen and
hold the baby while Mrs. Dane got the
Youngsters. bottle ready for him.
These bottle-babies are considerable of
a nuisance sometimes, but any baby,
if it be sound mentally and physically.
| is God given blessing to its parents.
They should accept it as Heaven sent
| gift and trust and do noble work for
the Lord and for mankind in general
| by rearing the child to a good and use
full and Christian manhood or woman
hood. | am not above helping my
wife take care of our babies. do all
the getting up at night myself. Most
men ought to take this pleasing little
| duty upon themselves, they are better
| able to do it than nine out of ten
wives.
l know a manwho boasts that he
never got up night in his life for one
of his six children His wife, pale,
worn-out little slip Of creature looks
as though she hadn't had whole
nights rest since the first child was
born-I doubt if she has. This man
says he goes off and sleeps in a room
by himself when the young ones" are
troublesome. Women with similar
husbands have my sympathy.
1t would, l think, add in no small
degree to the ..higher life" of every
household if the doors were securely
barred against all forms of gossip anG
gossipers. The neighborhood gossil
is dangerous person, underneath hel
sweetest words is that under current o
malice and venom and falsehood thai
makes her a woman to be dreaded
Her influence over children and young
people is often more harmful thar
most people suppose. Gossip is baC
food for children; l sometimes thinl
that there should be legislation agains
these mischief makers.
l don't dread the long winter even
ings in the least, the depressing inhu
ence of their darkness and coldnes.
never enters into our house. No sea
son of the year gives one such oppor
tuniries for mental improvement anC
happiness at home l think, however
that many families live too much t(
themselves in the winter time. They
do not go to any place and no one il
asked to come and see them. Go on
and spend an evening occasionally
with some of your neighbors, and lie
it be known that your latch string il
always hanging out for them; invite
dozen or more of them in some even
ing and have 'ssociablc sort of /
time Some simple refreshment vii
cost little time or money. Little in
formal gatherings like these do mucl
toward creating good feeling and har
mony in a neighborhood; and-botl
our babies are crying now, must at
tend TO one of them myself.-Zena
Dane, in Good Housekeeping.